Red Onion Marmalade

Being flat stony broke these days, I like to try and bring my lunch to work with me rather than be dependent on cafés. Sometimes the lunch is leftovers from dinner the night – rice or pasta with some kind of sauce – but other days I am forced to rely on sandwiches.

Having eaten plain ham sandwiches for years as a secondary school student my boredom threshold is quite low so I try to ring the changes as much as possible with different breads, fillings and spreads. One thing that really lifts a sandwich, be it ham, cheese, pate or chicken, beyond the ordinary is this sticky and savoury Red Onion Marmalade. It’s a great standby to have on hand. You can put it into jars if you want to keep it for a while but mine doesn’t get a chance to hang around. I just put it straight into a covered tub in the fridge. It’s great with any kind of sandwich, I have often pressed it into service as a relish when I’ve been eating cheese and crackers and, in her Cook’s Companion, Stephanie Alexander suggests stirring a spoonful through cooked pasta.

Red Onion Marmalade is not difficult to make but it does involve some time. I find that it is a good thing to cook while you’re doing other things around the house. Peeling the onions is probably the worst part of the job and, no matter what evasive action you take, you’ll be shedding bucket-loads of tears before you get the last onion chopped! I try to stand by an open window or at least make sure the kitchen is well ventilated. After peeling each of the onions, rinse it under cold water and leave it to drip in a colander in the sink until you start chopping. This won’t prevent the tears but it might lessen them somewhat.

Stef: that certainly sounds gorgeous. Maybe I’ll have to expand my cooking experience to include roast beef. Having been brought up on roast pieces of beef for every evening meal when I was a child – my father is a beef farmer – as a result I tend to steer away from beef when shopping and cooking. Time, perhaps, to face the fear and do it anyway!

Caroline, I made these last night and made the silly mistake of not closing the kitchen door… so now whole the house smells of onions and balsamic vinegar!! But it was worth it they are delicious! I can’t wait for my lunch time cheese sandwiches… and maybe with some mashed potatoes and herby sausages for dinner (you’re missing out on the potato delights!!) Yum Yum!!

Glad to hear that you’re enjoying them, Ruth! And you’re right – they go with so many things other than cheese sandwiches. Try them on top of some brown bread with tuna mayo or they’re great as the base filling for a tart or a quiche.

There’s been progress on my life-long dislike of potatoes. Watch out for a post about it soon!

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